Lentil, Quinoa, and Mushroom Sliders

January 15, 2012

Iâ€™ve been working hard on a new recipe for veggie burgers. I usually make them with chickpeas, but my husband doesnâ€™t like the texture. They tend to be somewhat dry. But he likes lentils, and lentils have a smoky, almost meaty taste. And the texture is ideal. Makes sense to use them in a veggie burger. In this case, I made sliders and added quinoa for a bit extra texture and protein.

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Ingredients: (makes about 10 sliders or 5 burgers)

1 cup dried lentils (cook until tender and drain)

1/2 cup dried quinoa (cook and drain)

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg

1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

dash salt and pepper

swiss cheese (to melt on top of the sliders)

Directions: After preparing the lentils and quinoa, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Form the mixture into small patties and place in a heated skillet. The egg helps hold the mixture together, but it wonâ€™t be as sticky as ground beef, so youâ€™ll have to be gentle when forming the patties and when flipping them in the pan. (Start with one egg,. If the mixture isnâ€™t sticky enough to bind together, add a second egg.)

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Cook patties for about 4 minutes (on high heat) on each side. The sides should start to brown and crisp up.

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Melt a slice of swiss cheese on top.

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You could serve these on a bun with all the fixins, but I served mine on a leaf of bibb lettuce with a side of pickled okra and some spicy mustard. You could also serve these on top of a leafy green salad.